Leading litigation funder Validity Finance announced it has expanded to Washington, DC, adding prominent international disputes lawyer Nicole Silver as investment manager. She was previously a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig in Washington, representing governments and corporate clients in international arbitration proceedings, as well as in complex civil litigation, white-collar defense and internal investigations.
Further burnishing its DC bona fides, Validity added renowned Washington litigator and law firm leader Bert Rein as a senior advisor. One of the country’s top antitrust and commercial litigators, Mr. Rein is founding partner of national law firm Wiley Rein and an expert on international law. He’s been recognized as Washington’s “leading food and drug lawyer” and a “visionary” by American Lawyer. In his new advisory role, he’ll assist Validity in furthering connections with major law firms and potential clients.
Validity’s Washington presence adds to the firm’s existing U.S. offices in New York, Houston and Chicago, along with operations in Tel Aviv.
“Washington adds an important piece to our growth strategy, both as a business and technology hub that includes Northern Virginia and Maryland and for its proximity to federal courts, government enforcement agencies and especially key venues for international disputes,” said Validity CEO Ralph Sutton. That includes ICSID, the World Bank unit that oversees cross-border investor disputes. Mr. Sutton brings his own acumen in cross-border disputes, having helped draft the ICCA-Queen Mary guidelines for funding international arbitration in 2018.
“We’re excited to enter the DC market with Nicole Silver, who has counseled sovereign governments and private parties in high-stakes international arbitration proceedings, including many matters before ICSID and the Permanent Court of Arbitration,” Mr. Sutton added; he noted that Ms. Silver, who has particular experience in Latin America, has handled disputes in such sectors as energy, telecom, infrastructure and natural resources. “Nicole’s success directing complex, often yearslong disputes involving hundreds of millions of dollars in claims will be instrumental in helping lead due diligence and case assessment on our growing book of arbitration financings.”
Ms. Silver has consistently been ranked among Latinnvex’s “Top 100 Female Lawyers” and names one of Latin Lawyer’s top choices for arbitration. Admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia, she served as director of the Programming, Investment and Finance Committee of the D.C. Bar (2017-18). She received her J.D. from Vanderbilt and holds an A.B. from Princeton.
Speaking of Validity’s newest senior advisor, Mr. Sutton said, “Bert Rein is a legend in Washington legal circles, having turned Wiley Rein into a national litigation powerhouse across many areas of practice including bankruptcy, employment, insurance defense, intellectual property and others. Bert’s own success is exemplary, including his extensive work in international disputes. Having him join our advisory team will help us advance Validity’s visibility in Washington through his peerless connections and experience in high-stakes litigation.”
Mr. Rein’s career began as a law clerk to former Supreme Court Justice John M. Harlan, after which he held various roles in the Department of State and served as director of the Chamber of Commerce and as a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis before co-founding Wiley Rein in 1983.
About Validity
Validity is a commercial litigation finance company that provides non-recourse investments for a wide variety of commercial disputes. Validity’s mission is to make a meaningful difference in our clients’ experience of the legal system. We focus on fairness, innovation, and clarity. For more, visit www.validityfinance.com
